Printing telegraph tape loop indicator



May 11, 1948- l.. M. PoTTs PRINTING TELEGRAPH TAPE LOOP INDICATOR Y Filed April 27, 1946 Fis. 2

INVENTOR om ET4 SU HX Y Daw. E 's m NT O TT .n OW A Pc.

mA wmf LM Y M B tPatented May 11A, 1948 PRINTING TELEGRAPH TAPE LOOP `INDICA-'rolt I LousM.'Potts, deceased, late of Evanston, Ill., by Martha W. C. Potts, executrix, Evanston, Ill.,

assigner to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1946, Serial No. 665,539

1 Claim.

vtape loop meter comprising a differential gear connection between two tape actuating devices, and indicating means operable to indicate the resultant actuations of said devices as determined by said diiferential.

Specically, the apparatus for accomplishing the objects of the invention includes a perforating device and a pvoted transmitting device capable of permitting the transmission `of vthe llast code signal combination perforated. Such a structure is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,348,214, issued May 9, 1944, to E. A. Gubisch, wherein -a tape is adapted to be perforated, `and then .passed into a transmitting device of thepivoted type shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,262,012, issued November 11, 1941, to R. A. Lake. In the arrangements according to said patentsjthe'transmitter and perforator are so positioned as to enable a loop of tapev to be laccumulated therebetween, which loop is lengthened or shortened depending 'upon whether the transmitter or perforator operatesmore rapidly.

To continuously apprise the operator vas tothe amount of tape accumulated or vstored between the transmitter and perforator units, the indicator according to the present invention is provided, which is adapted to operate `additively or subtractively depending upon whether tape is being stored or withdrawn from the loop. Morecverthe indicator is also adapted to register the fact that a balance exists between the transmitter and perforator when said units are operating at the same speeds.

- For a more complete understanding of the foregoing objects and features of the present invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of lthe tape loopmetering device according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial top View of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a front View of a portion of thev apparatus shownin U. S. Patent No. 2,348,214, wherein the vapparatus of the present invention is em- 'b'odled, and

.55 spring 39.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing `the circuit connections between the apparatus shown .in said Patent/No. 2,348,214 .and the device accordingto the present invention.

Having reference to the 'drawingsthe loop indieating device according to the invention ls indicated generally jby 'the 'numeric I 0, and comprises a-shaft II which is journalled lin supports I2 and I3 suitably mounted on a base plate I'll. The assembly lll is adapted to be positioned on the base portion I5 of the apparatus shown in said Patent No. 2,348,214, which apparatus .is indicated ygenerally in Fig. 3 by the numeric I6. The apparatus I6 comprises a perforating vunit Il, analogous to unit 61 in Patent No. 2,348,214, and the pivoted transmitter unit I'Bisjanalogous to unit vI1 'in said patent. As fully described in-PatentNo. 2,348,214 the unit I8 ismounted pivotally on a pivot I9 journalled in a bracket 2I isup'orted on Vthe base portion I5.

The unit I8 is swingable 'between .a suitably mounted stop 22 and the inclined surface 23 of the perforator '11. Apair of jtape supporting-Tringers 24 (only one Vof which is shown) are carried on the bracket 25'and 'are'adaptedtoproject through the unit I8. Fingers 24 serve-to support the tape 26 and sustain the weightof vthe tape loop between 'the unit I8 and the perforator I'I thereby preventing the bending ofthe tape`26 over 'the plate'Zl of 'theunit I8.

As set forth in said Patent No. 2,348,214, the perforator unit -II fand transmitting unit I8- are provided with tape 'advancing means, such that if the perforator alone is operating, aloop of tape will form. in the space'indicatedby the numeric 28, andif the'transmitter vI8 alone operates, the loop 2I`will decrease in size. If the transmitter I8v and perforator I1 Hare operating at thesame speed, kthe size of the 4loop 26 will, of course, remain constant. With the device according to the present invention the length of the loop existingvbe'twee'n units Il and I8 is constantly registered regardless 'of the speed variation between said units.

Referring toI Fig. 1, there is freely mountedon shaft'l I, a`wor`mgear"29 adapted'to mesh with a worm 3Iv xedto'a cross shaft 32. Also fixed to shaft32 is a ratchet wheel 33. `Freelymounted on shaft`32 is an'arm 30 on which'ispivotedatfi, a pawl 36 which is adapted -to cooperate with ratchet wheel 33. Pawl 36 Vis Vnormally biased ,counterclockwise into lvcooperative engagement with ratchet wheel 33 .byaspring 3l. ,.Arm`30 is normally biased clockwise against a stop38 by a An electromagnet 4I carried on a 4 member 320, a cam 61 which is adapted to cyclically operate a contact 68 to complete an ener gizing circuit for magnet 4I extending from ground, through contact 68, over conductor 69, through the winding of magnet 4 I, and to grounded battery 1 I.

In the operation of the arrangement according to the present invention, the apparatus is so Integrally connected with worm gear 29 is Va t bevel gear 43. A bevel gear 44, similar torgear 43, as freely mounted on shaft II, and posiarranged that at the start there is no loop of tape in the machine, that is, the transmitter I8 is,;abutting the perforator I1. Moreover, the

tioned between gears 43 and 44 and freely ro. tatable on shaft II is a member 45 .which 'carries Y thereon a planetary bevel gear 46 having meshl1&5

ing engagement with gears 43 and 44. Integrally connected to member 45 is ring 41 having graduations around the periphery thereof.y An index pointer 48 is appropriately mounted to cooperate with the graduations on the ring 41.

A worm gear 49 is integrally associated with gear 44. Gear 49 meshes witha worm 5I xed to a shaft 52 suitably journalled in brackets (not shown) carried on frame member I3. Fixed to shaft 52 is a ratchet 53 which cooperates with a pawl 54 carried on a pivot 55 on an arm 56 freely mounted on shaft 52. Pawl 54 is biased by a spring 51 into engagement with ratchet 53. Arm 56 is normally held against a stop 58 by a spring 56.

An electromagnet 6I which is cooperatively associated with the extremity of arm 56, is supported by a bracket 62 mounted on base I4. Magnet 6I upon energization operates arm 56 counterclockwise to effect through pawl 54, the rotation of ratchet 53, which in turn, through shaft 52 and worm 5I imparts'rotation to worm gear 56 and hence gear 44. y

If magnet 4I alone is operating, the ring 41 will rotate in the direction of the arrow shown on gear 29. Should the magnet 6I alone'be in operation, the ring 41 will rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow shown on gear 48. If both of the magnets 4I and 6I are operating, then the direction of rotation of ring will be a resultant dependent upon the ratio of the speeds of gears 29 and 49.

In Fig. 4, the unit vIll is indicated schematically in dot and dash line rectangle and only the magnets 4I and 6I and their respective circuits are shown. Also shown schematically in Fig. 4 are thev portions of the apparatus illustrated in U. S. Patent 2,348,214 which are utilized to achieve the objects of the present invention. The portions which are identical will be given herein the same numerics as are employed in said patent. For example, the main shaft 34 is driven froma motor in the manner shown int said patent. A clutch on shaft 34 for operation of the perforator comprises a driving portion |01 and a driven portion |08.

Power is transmitted from shaft 34 to a cross shaft 2II through a pair of gears 208 and 269, respectively, and then from' shaft 2II to a transmitter shaft 3I1 througha pair of gears 2I4 and 3I8. A clutch comprising a driving member 3I9 and a driven member 320 is carried'on shaft 3I1. Sleeved to the driven clutch member |68 on shaft 34 is a contact operating cam 63 (added for the purpose of the present invention), which is adapted to cyclically operate a contact 64 to complete an energizing circuit for magnet 6I' extending irom ground, through contact 64, over conductor 65, through the winding of magnet 6I and to grounded battery 66.

Similarly, there is sleeved to the drivenclutch scale on therperiphery of ring 41 is set so that the zero indication is opposite the pointer 48.

Upon the operation of the perforator I1, tape is fed into the space 28 to form a loop therein, prowided the transmitter I8 is as yet not operating, or in the 'event the perforator is operating at a greaterspeed than the transmitter. Assuming that a loop of tape has been accumulated in the space 28, and that the transmitter has begun to operate, the movement of the ring 41 will no longer be governed solely by the perforator I1, through the instrumentality of Contact 64; but will now be governed by both the transmitter I8 and perforator I1, so that the indication on the scale will apprise the operator as to the length of tape between said units. Y

At some suitable point on the ring 41 there is provided a projection 12 which, when a certain length of loop is indicated, will close a contact 13 to light a supervisory lamp 14 over an obvious circuit. In place of supervisory lamps there may be provided switches adapted to make changes in a circuit when a certain length of tape is provided in the loop. Such a change may consist in cutting in an additional transmitter or making other suitable circuit changes according to the system used.

The electromagnets 4I and BI, instead of being operated so as to indicate the length of the tape in the loop, may be used for indicating the number of messages, in which case the contacts 64 and/or 68 would respond to an end-of-message signal, and thus keep an account of the number of messages in the loop.

Although a specificv embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is understood that the invention is capable of use in many forms other than that disclosed without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.'

What is claimed is:

In combination, tape perforating means, tape controlled transmitting means having tape sensing means pivotally arranged in juxtaposed relation and movable with respect to said perforating means to facilitate accumulation `of tape from zero length therebetween, tape stepping facilities associated with each of said perforating means and said sensing means, separate cyclic operating means for said perforating means and said transmitting means, cam operated contact means associated with each of said cyclic operating means, an electromagnet associated with each contact means,.pawl and ratchet drive means associated with said electromagnets, a Worm pinion drivenby each of said drive means, a worm gear meshed with' each pinion, a bevel gear integrally associated with each worm gear, a planetary gear operably meshed with said bevel gears, means lfor operably supporting said planetary gear for planetary action about said bevel gears, a ring integrally related to said supporting means and rotatable therewith, said ring bearing "graduated indicia on the periphery thereof, and an indicator `cooperating with said indicia, whereby said indicator and said ring are effective to indicate continuously the accumulation of tape between said perforating means and said transmitting means as determined by both of said tape actus ating facilities.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dixon Apr. 30, 1918 Lake Nov. 11, 1941 Gubisch May 9, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Mar. 25, 1919 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1893 

